David Grunfeld/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Hornets forward Carl Landry has averaged a team-best 21.5 points and grabbed 8.0 rebounds after two starts in place of David West.

He has averaged a team-best 21.5 points and grabbed 8.0 rebounds after two starts. As he emerges, however, Landry will likely see more double teams similar to what West experienced throughout the season.

It could come Wednesday night when the Hornets play the Portland Trail Blazers in a crucial Western Conference game with playoff implications at the New Orleans Arena.

“It has been a collective effort and that’s the way we’ve got to play,’’ Landry said. “It’s not all on one person. Even if I’m not scoring, I could be doing something else like rebounding the ball, taking charges and making hustle plays.’’

Despite Landry's emergence, Coach Williams said they must continue to reinvent themselves with different lineups that could include starting center Emeka Okafor earning minutes at power forward when backup center Aaron Gray is in the game. Starting small forward Trevor Ariza also may play limited minutes behind Landry at power forward.

“I don’t think there is going to be one thing that we do from here on out,’’ Williams said. “It’s going to be a game-to-game thing. To say we can do anything post David, it’s hard.''

Landry has made 47 career starts – averaging 16.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 35.2 minutes per game. Landry made his first start as a Hornet in place of West last week at Phoenix and scored 19 points on eight-of-16 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.In Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Landry scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

On this week's episode of the New Orleans Hornets Buzz, Times-Picayune Online Sports Editor Kevin Spain and Hornets beat reporter John Reid talk about the impact of David West's injury and the team's outlook for the playoffs as the season winds down.